Shafaq News- Erbil

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Saturday called for compensation for victims of the Feyli Kurds genocide, marking the 46th anniversary of their persecution under Iraq’s former Baathist regime.

Barzani said Feyli Kurds were subjected to executions, arrests, enforced disappearances and mass deportations, while their citizenship, property and assets were confiscated. The deportation of hundreds of thousands and the displacement of tens of thousands more constituted a “racially motivated genocide” that left a lasting impact on Iraq.

Iraq’s federal government should implement a ruling by the country’s top criminal court recognizing the crimes as genocide, including providing financial and moral compensation and restoring confiscated rights and property, he added.

“The suffering of Feyli Kurds should serve as a lesson for building a future based on coexistence and mutual acceptance in Iraq.”

Hundreds of thousands of Feyli Kurds, a Shiite Kurdish community concentrated in Baghdad and eastern Iraq, were deported to Iran during the 1970s and 1980s, while thousands of others were detained or went missing, with many families still seeking information about their fate. Efforts to compensate victims and restore confiscated rights and property have remained limited.

Read more: Feyli Kurds demand action 15 years after genocide ruling